Posts Tagged ‘Still Life’

Series debut: A mysteriously resurrected Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) inexplicably finds himself in modern times. But he has not made this bizarre journey alone. A certain headless horseman is here, too.

When: Monday on Fox, Global

2 Dads

Series debut: Now the public finally gets to see what all the fuss is about. Does Archie Bunker-style humour work in 2013? This stars Seth Green, Giovanni Ribisi, Martin Mull and Peter Riegert.

When: Tuesday on Fox, City

3 Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Series debut: Former Saturday Night Live cast member Andy Samberg goes the sitcom route. He plays a childish yet effective detective. But he won’t have Justin Timberlake to bail him out this time.

When: Tuesday on Fox, City

4 Last Man Standing

Second-season debut: Willie and Si Robertson from A&E’s Duck Dynasty make their acting debuts as customers at the outdoor store run by Mike (Tim Allen). Wait, you mean Duck Dynasty isn’t an act?

When: Friday on ABC

5 Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery

Debut: Based on a novel by Louise Penny, this made-for-TV movie focuses on a small town that comes unravelled when a community member is found dead. Hey, doesn’t that sound just like Broadchurch?

When: Sunday on CBC

6 The Mindy Project

Second-season debut: Mindy (Mindy Kaling) has her new life in Haiti cut short when she falls ill. Meanwhile, James Franco guest-stars as an OB/GYN who also happens to be a sex therapist.

When: Tuesday on Fox, City

7 The Neighbors

Second-season debut: Just as Amber (Clara Mamet) and Reggie (Tim Jo) reveal to their families that they’ve been dating, an unexpected guest competes for Reggie’s attention. An alien concept, literally?

When: Friday on ABC, CTV

8 Deconstructing Dinner

Series debut: Ever wonder or worry about where your food comes from? This six-part documentary traces the path from field and farm to family table, with some surprising twists along the way.

When: Monday on ichannel

9 Bones

Ninth-season debut: Booth (David Boreanaz) last was seen breaking the heart of Brennan (Emily Deschanel) by taking back his marriage proposal. The story picks up a few months later.

When: Monday on Fox, Global

10 New Girl

Third-season debut: Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) decide to take the plunge with their romantic relationship. But after running away together, they find themselves in need of rescue.

“So that twerp Don Cherry gets a biopic and I don’t? I think you need to have a little talk with your favourite organization the CBC, Mr. Prime Minister.”

That’s what Gordie Howe appears to be saying to Stephen Harper in the above photo.

Well, whatever Gordie did, it worked. The CBC announced on Wednesday that it has commissioned Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story, along with two other made-for-TV films, Smilin’ Jack: The Jack Layton Story and Still Life.

Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story apparently will focus on Gordie’s later era of professional hockey, when he came back in his mid-40s to play with sons Mark and Marty. I guess that’s the better “story,” per se, but I personally would be more interested in learning about Gordie’s early years. We now seem to remember Gordie Howe merely as an athletic freak of nature who played a long time, rather than the most dominant player in the game, which he was for an entire era.

There apparently was a saying in the NHL back in the early 1960s: “There are four good teams in the league: Montreal, Toronto, Chicago and Gordie Howe.”

Whenever I think of Gordie, I can’t help but recall a book I read years ago exposing hockey’s dark secrets that detailed some of Gordie’s contract negotiations with the Detroit Red Wings. The trusting Gordie would be told, “Don’t tell any of the other players what you’re making, they’ll be jealous.” Meanwhile, the truth was that Gordie was being criminally underpaid for a player of his stature.

So who gets to portray Gordie? Hey, why not Jared Keeso, the actor who played Don Cherry in two CBC biopics? After all, Keeso kind of looks like every hockey player who ever lived (well, except for maybe Doug Gilmour).

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Bill has been a Sun columnist, reporter and editor for 22 years. Previously was in Sports as Toronto Raptors beat writer and NBA columnist, he joined Entertainment in 2005 as a television and music critic before moving exclusively to TV. Prior to the Sun, he worked at the Montreal Daily News, the Orillia Packet & Times and the Sherbrooke Record.